Summer is in full force in my garden, bringing out some of the usual suspects and a few surprises. I’m joining Jim and the SOS gang to share six items of interest from my garden this week. To see more SOS posts, follow this link GardenRuminations.
I have been wondering for years why I can’t grow anything but spotty White Salvia here. Rob the Greyhound spotted a gathering of Marsh Rabbits working their way through the Blue Daze Evolvulus. What is strange is how not marshy my garden is?
The first ripe Thai Dessert Mango (Nam Doc Mai). We had Mango Salsa with Herb Crusted Steelhead Trout and rice for dinner. Delish. These mangoes are tricky to pick – if they aren’t showing the apricot blush they never get ripe on the counter. I’m thinking about trying a Mango Cream pie with graham cracker crust.
The Jamaican Caper (Quadrella jamaicensis) is flowering. This is a small tree native to South Florida. It looks like a Japanese Cleyera to me. It does produce capers, but they are not edible.
My husband and I met a very friendly kitty in the garden. I have no idea where she came from. I hope she enjoys dining on invasive lizards.
Our local farmer’s market has the most fantastic deal on Phalaenopsis orchids – 3 for $20. I have been enjoying the flowers in the house and transplanting them into palm tree boots after the flowers fade. Fingers crossed this works.
This might be a Fantasia Aechmea Bromeliad. I am not quite sure what it is – but Fantasia seems like an apt name!
That’s all from my garden this morning. I hope everyone is enjoying summer gardening. Thanks to Jim for hosting.
The Shrub Queen 
That is how Heather showed up. She was just a mysterious friendly kitty. We later found that her family had thought that coyotes got her, and then moved away. She lives with us now, and controls rodents.
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The first photo tricked me, it looks like a layer of snow behind the rabbit! That looks like a well fed cat, so cute. Steelhead trout is my favorite fish, what a delicious meal.
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LOL, it is a crushed shell driveway. I love steel head too.
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Ooh good luck growing on the orchids.
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The first one out doesn’t look very happy right now. I think it may take a while for them to establish.
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Rodent damage can be so annoying! Your mango looks delish and your dishes sound absolutely yummy. 😋
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Indeed! they are the nearby zinnias..my freezer is filled with mangoes, I have been hoarding them!
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Does Rob your greyhound chase rabbits? Or does he prefer to chase the poor cat?
Otherwise, I really like your mango meal idea! My sister, who came back from Thailand, ate some there, of course, and I’m suggesting this idea to her.
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Rob doesn’t have a very strong prey drive and rarely chases anything. He just observes. The cat is probably smart and was on the other side of the fence. I first encountered mango salsa in Maui. There is a lot you can do with mangoes. I have never been able to figure the green mango Thai dishes out. I have pounds of mango in the freezer to experiment with.
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I much admire your Quadrella jamaicensis. It is completely new to me, perhaps I can grow it in my dreams!
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I have never heard of Quadrella jamaicensis, what a fabulous flower, who needs capers with a flower like that? I don’t suppose marsh rabbits have better table manners than our ordinary ones. One of the benefits of a smaller, enclosed garden is that I no longer have to engage in warfare with rabbits and deer. Magnificent mango, what a delight.
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The Quadrella was recently renamed. It is a fairly obscure Florida native. Oddly about 8 feet tall, columnar with no pruning and 3 flowers. I keep waiting for more.
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Your own mango, what a delight! Love the Quadrella, very intriguing flowers. A friend of mine grows Capparis spinosa which can cope with a bit of cold.
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The Jamaican Caper is so beautiful. I don’t know if you it posted before, but I have never seen it.
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It has been around for a while and doesn’t bloom very much. I like it too.
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I think I am going to rename you the Bromeliad queen. The Fantasia Aechmea Bromeliad is so unusual.
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I will admit to that! I became fascinated with bromeliads after moving to Florida.
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